A Midsummer Night's Dream House Programme

BENJAMIN BRITTEN

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

FEB 11–19

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A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

CONTENTS

Tom Wright, General Director Jonathan Darlington, Music Director Emeritus

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A MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL DIRECTOR AND THE BOARD CHAIR

Is there a better time to dream of midsummer than mid-February? In the dark, wet Vancouver winter, we can all use a boost to the imagination here and there; our souls could do with a bit of magic. Britten's adaptation of the classic Shakespeare play is up to the task, fully immersing us in the ethereal and the fantastical.

We're proud to premiere this new production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, built right here in Vancouver by a phenomenal team of designers and theatre artisans. It's been invigorating to see the production take shape in our workshops, rehearsal studios, offices, and...wherever our remote-working collaborators might be when they jump on a video call! As we strive to be better stewards of the environment, building Dream here rather than trucking a production in from across the continent has the added benefit of reducing our ecological footprint.

Shifting from our behind-the-scenes stars, we're honoured to welcome the gifted Jacques Lacombe back to the podium, last seen by Vancouver audiences as the conductor of Turandot in 2017, while Aria Umezawa makes her company premiere as stage director. Umezawa's forward-thinking directorial approach is the perfect fit for the work's interwoven storylines, layered meanings, and iconic characters. What's more, we're delighted to have a descendant of Benjamin Britten—tenor Spencer Britten—as part of our superb and populous Canadian cast. Have a look through the bios in this programme; the wealth of talent assembled is truly remarkable.

On behalf of all of us at Vancouver Opera, it's our great pleasure to share the magic and wonderment of A Midsummer Night's Dream with you.

Tom Wright General Director

Susan Van der Flier Board Chair

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NOTES FROM THE CONDUCTOR Jacques

Lacombe, c.m, c.q.

For centuries, Shakespeare has inspired countless works by a dizzying array of composers. But in my opinion, Benjamin Britten was the only composer who could write an opera based on A Midsummer Night's Dream. It was no easy task; Britten admitted that the wide-ranging references and sheer proportions of the play forced him to cut almost half of Shakespeare's text, lest he end up writing an opera as long as the Ring Cycle.

In trying to find solutions to the manifold challenges, Britten had the brilliant idea to start his opera not in the "real" Athenian world, as Shakespeare did, but rather to situate us right from the beginning in the magical forest world of the fairies. By doing so, he frames the world of Oberon, Tytania and the fairies as "the norm", with the four lovers and the rustics as outsiders who enter this realm of dreams.

In a way, Britten wrote three operas in one, with the fairies' world, the "high society" of Athens, and the rustics all linked by Puck, the only spoken role of the opera. Across these worlds, Britten's distinct sonic landscapes immerse audiences in magic and mystery, deep reflection on human nature, and ample amounts of humour and wit.

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NOTES FROM THE DIRECTOR

Aria Umezawa

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is usually presented as an upbeat romantic comedy. In a 2019 lecture at Oxford, Shakespeare scholar Emma Smith pointed out that there is cruelty at the centre of the play. In her reading, the work is a statement on the diverse forms of sexual desire, the fear and shame society instils in us towards those desires, and the means we use to control them. As Professor Smith puts it, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream is not a romantic comedy, but rather a comedy which looks beneath the conventions of courtship and romance, and is actually rather frightened by what it sees.” This notion of social institutions as a form of sexual control would have been particularly relevant to Benjamin Britten, who lived as an openly gay man at a time when homosexuality was illegal in England. In this sense, Dream explores the duality of a society that suppresses desire while celebrating the dreams of a space where those same desires can be actualized.

Smith points out that Elizabethans would have been familiar with Thomas Hill’s 1576 book The Interpretation of Dreams, in which he posits that dreams are “looking glasses of the body.” The dreamy forest of the opera becomes a world where unconscious desire, in all its nuanced forms, can be made conscious and explored. What we discover is that desire is not necessarily linked to romantic love, as Lysander and Hermia suggest, but can be possessive (as in Tytania’s desire for Bottom), masochistic (as in Helena’s desire for Demetrius), or cruel (the deception Oberon undertakes in his desire to dominate those around him). It’s messy stuff, and when ruled by these emotions, our characters do not always represent themselves in the most flattering light. It is an awareness of this fact that sends the lovers back to a world designed to control and contain them.

The world the lovers return to by choice is a society in which our most intimate desires are judged and policed. In spite of their experience in the forest, the lovers take their place among the aristocracy — those who determine the rules and exert control. Once assimilated, the young protagonists begin to reinforce its structures. They openly mock the story of love and desire that is portrayed by the rustics in their famous “play within a play.” Although this is one of literature’s most comedic scenes, there is a cruel hypocrisy in the lovers’ words: mere moments earlier, they were wrestling with the same themes (and to similarly comic effect).

The cruelty with which society approached the topic of desire in Shakespeare’s time, which resonated with Britten in his time, continues to find relevance today. 2022 was gleefully declared “The Year of Cheating Scandals” by Glamour Magazine. The overturning of Roe v. Wade and the continued fight for 2SLGBTQI+ rights show that the gendered politics of sex and attraction remain a central concern of policy makers. We cannot seem to overcome our tendency to moralize this core component of the human experience, and because our relationship to desire reflects on our morals, having open and honest conversations about it risks, at the very least, causing offence.

This is why A Midsummer Night’s Dream endures. As Puck reminds us at the end of the opera, what we experience in the theatre is its own type of looking glass into the body. It is both an escape from a world that encourages us to suppress desire and it helps us gain insight into topics that would be taboo in other settings. What we witness might be dark, hypocritical, messy, and complicated. It may not cast humanity in the best light. But it is striving to be honest and fair about the nature of desire, and less judgmental than what we might encounter when we awaken.

SYN OP SIS

ACT I

Night falls in the woods outside Athens. Oberon, King of the Fairies, is quarrelling with Tytania, his queen. Oberon sends his servant Puck to find a magic flower, whose juice will make her fall in love with the first creature she sees upon waking.

Lysander and Hermia have left the city, fleeing Hermia’s forced marriage to Demetrius. Demetrius, who loves Hermia, chases after her, himself pursued by Helena, who is in love with him. But Demetrius rejects her and runs off. Oberon orders Puck to find Demetrius and make him fall in love with Helena with the magic juice.

Six working men have also left the city to discuss a play they hope to perform at the wedding of Theseus, Duke of Athens, to Hippolyta. There is disagreement, with Bottom and Flute finally agreeing to play the parts of Pyramus and Thisbe. Quince, the carpenter, hands out scripts, and all agree to meet later that night to rehearse.

Exhausted and lost, Lysander and Hermia lie down to sleep. Puck, who thinks he has found Demetrius, sprinkles the magic flower juice on Lysander’s eyes. Demetrius appears, still pursued by Helena, and angrily abandons her. She sees the sleeping Lysander and wakes him. Under the effect of the spell, he immediately declares his love. Helena runs off thinking he is making fun of her. Lysander follows. Hermia awakes to find herself alone.

The fairies help their mistress Tytania to sleep. Oberon steals in to put the juice on her eyes, hoping she will “wake when some vile thing is near.”

ACT II

Later, Quince and his men rehearse. Puck decides to amuse himself by turning Bottom into an ass. At the sight of this terrifying transformation, the others flee. Bottom wakes Tytania with his singing; she immediately falls in love with him. Oberon is delighted to find Tytania in love with an ass. But when Demetrius arrives, still in pursuit of Hermia, he realizes Puck has made a mistake. Demetrius falls asleep, and Oberon pours the juice on his eyes. The arrival of Helena and Lysander wakes Demetrius, who now declares his passion for Helena. When Hermia appears as well, only to be rejected by Lysander, Helena is convinced that the men have planned it all to mock her. Oberon gives Puck an antidote to administer to Lysander. Puck leads the lovers away through the forest until they fall asleep and puts the herb on Lysander’s eyes.

ACT III

Near dawn, Oberon releases Tytania from the spell. Daybreak rouses the lovers, who are reconciled. Bottom, restored to human shape, wakes from what he thinks was a strange dream. He wanders off while his friends search for him. They’re about to give up when he returns with news that their play will be performed at court.

Back in Athens, the four lovers ask Theseus’s forgiveness for their disobedience to the law. Theseus decides that they shall be married together with him and Hippolyta. Quince and his players finally give their performance, and the three couples retire to bed. Oberon, Tytania, and the fairies bless the sleeping household—with Puck having the last word.

HAIL TO THE THIEF!

Proud 'musical borrowing' in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

by Nicholas Burns

Composers have always loved to steal from each other. Musical borrowing—also known as musical parody—is almost as old as music itself, and it's led to some smash hits throughout the ages. The 1975 pop song All by Myself by Eric Carmen quotes Sergei Rachmaninoff’s second piano concerto. The Beatles, in All My Loving, ‘borrowed’ a lick from jazz pianist Dave Brubeck’s Annabelle’s Waltz, while pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo recently came under fire for her chart-topping single good 4 u sounding more than just a bit like Paramore’s 2007 pop-punk hit Misery Business

Today's musical 'borrowing' can often result in litigation, but throughout operatic history it was a sincere form of praise. Offenbach freely quoted Meyerbeer; Bach practically copied an entire piece from his Italian colleague Pergolesi, with a translation from Latin to German being the most notable difference. Handel, a master of musical stealing, even ‘stole’ from himself (such as the E major alto arias in Alcina, Rodelinda, and Israel in Egypt, and numerous movements in Messiah)!

There are many noteworthy parodies in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, some used for their humorous effect, others to more sombre ends. Thisby’s death scene quotes the mad scene from Lucia di Lamermoor. Pyramus’ entrance aria is a comedic parody that references Verdi’s famous Miserere duet in Il Travatore. The fearsome lion, in an attempt to intimidate, sings...a polka! And Oberon’s act one aria is eerily similar to Baroque composer Henry Purcell’s song Sweeter Than Roses.

But despite the many instances of parody, Britten's Midsummer is no simple copycat work. To me, it's a testament to Britten’s diverse musical influences and experiences, and his ability to move from haunting to hilarious. It's now up to you, the listener, to decide if Britten’s embedded borrowings in Midsummer are a form of praise or mockery!

Countertenor Nicholas Burns appeared at the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme, performing Bach cantatas with Philippe Herreweghe. He has also appeared with the American Bach Soloists, BachFest Leipzig, Tafelmusik, Arion Baroque Orchestra, Early Music Vancouver, Corona del Mar Baroque Music Festival, L’Harmonie des saisons, The Theatre of Early Music, and le Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal.

NICHOLAS BURNS BY TAM LAN TRUONG PHOTOGRAPHY

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

By Benjamin Britten

Libretto adapted from Shakespeare by Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears

Opera in 3 Acts

The performance will last approximately 3 hours, with one intermission

In English with English SurTitles™

First performed at Jubilee Hall, Aldeburgh, UK as part of the Aldeburgh Festival on June 11, 1960

Vancouver Opera Premiere

Sets and costumes built by Vancouver Opera

By arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., publisher and copyright owner.

Conductor Jacques Lacombe Director Aria Umezawa

CAST IN ORDER OF VOCAL APPEARANCE

Oberon

Daniel Moody

Tytania

Magali Simard-Galdes

Lysander

Spencer Britten

Demetrius

Clarence Frazer

Hermia

Hillary Tufford

Helena

Jonelle Sills

Bottom

Peter McGillivray

Flute

Asitha Tennekoon

Theseus

Neil Craighead

Puck

Kunji Ikeda

Quince

Luka Kawabata

Hippolyta

Stephanie Tritchew

Snug

Peter Monaghan

Snout

Ian Cleary

With the Vancouver Opera Orchestra and Children's Chorus

Starveling

Jason Cook

Peaseblossom

Sara Hajduk

Cobweb

Claire Jun

Moth

Claire O'Donnell

Mustardseed

Sophia Quiring

Associate Conductor

Leslie Dala

Chorus Director/ Principal Répétiteur

Tina Chang

Répétiteur

Richard Epp

Young Artist Répétiteur

Amy Seulky Lee

Costume Designer

Roberta Doylend

Scenic Designer

Craig Alfredson

Projection Design

Chimerik 似不像 Collective

Sammy Chien

Vanka Salim intern

Lighting Design

Sophie Tang

Assistant Lighting Designer

Jamie Sweeney

English SurTitles™

Sarah Jane Pelzer

Choreographer & Intimacy Director

Anna Kuman

Stage Manager

Theresa Tsang

Assistant Stage Managers

Emma Hammond

Michelle Harrison

Women in Musical Leadership Participant Assistant

Juliane Gallant

ORCHESTRA & CHORUS

ORCHESTRA

Flute

Brenda Fedoruk Principal

Anne-Elise Keefer

Oboe

Emma Ringrose Principal

Clarinet

Mary Backun Principal

Christopher Lee

Bassoon

Ingrid Chiang Principal

Horn

Laurel Spencer Principal

Nick Anderson

Trumpet

Katherine Evans Principal

Trombone

Jeremy Berkman Principal

Timpani

Phillip Crewe Principal

Percussion

Robin Reid Acting Principal

Harp

Joy Yeh Principal

Janelle Nadeau

Keyboard

Amy Seulky Lee Principal

Violin 1

Mark Ferris Concertmaster

Angela Cavadas Associate Concertmaster

Ken Lin

Julia Lim

Evelyn Creaser

Lawrie Hill

Domagoj Ivanovic

Heilwig von Koenigsloew

Violin 2

Rebecca Ruthven Principal

Andrea Siradze Assistant Principal

Ellen Farrugia

Shang Ko Chan

Yun Jung

Anne Stride

Viola

Tawnya Popoff Principal

Reg Quiring Acting Assistant Principal

Marie-Claude Brunet

Roxi Dykstra

Cello

Rebecca Wenham Principal

Harold Birston Acting Assistant Principal

Sue Round

Ashton Lim

Bass

Maggie Hasspacher Principal

Michael Vaughan Assistant Principal

Meaghan Williams

Remy Xia

Orchestra Manager

Jim Littleford

CHORUS

Peaseblossom

Sara Hajduk

Cobweb

Claire Jun Cymbals

Moth

Claire O'Donnell

Mustardseed

Sophia Quiring Woodblock

Cover: Peaseblossom & Moth

Sofia Jones

Cover: Cobweb & Mustardseed

Kai Yee Li

Cover: Peaseblossom & Moth

Christine Pielak

Cover: Cobweb & Mustardseed

Rickie Wang Recorder

Maya Bhalla

Caroline Yufei Chen

Carlos Gao Recorder

Clara Griesdale

Eloise Grieve

Fanya Gross

Jake Apricity Hetherington

Marlowe MacLennan

Fontaine Molyneaux-Behgooy

Mana Nakamura

Mela Pietropaolo

Audrey Smallman

PRODUCTION TEAM

Director of Production

Nicole Lamb

Stage Manager

Theresa Tsang

Assistant Stage Managers

Michelle Harrison

Emma Hammond

Head of Properties/ Head Paint

Stephen Elgar

Painter

Jaimie Lievers

Production Assistant & COVID Safety Officer

Elsa Orme

SFU Production Assistant Intern

Claudia Chan

Head Scenic Carpenter

Vince Folgizan

Scenic Carpenters

Tim Cardinal

Grant Windsor

John Johnston

Paul Brooke

David Gagnon

Alex Moukhanov

Welder

Philip Piper

Head of Wardrobe

Roberta Doylend

Stitchers/Cutters

Andrea Delano

Stephanie Kong

Jennifer Reid

Lily Yuen

Head of Wigs and Hair

Oriana Camporese

Head Make-Up

Brenda Hodge

Production Electrician

Mike Bowen

Production Stage Carpenter

Dale Baratelli

Production Video

Franklin Leung

Props Assistants

Emma Knox

Jesse Orr

Children's Chorus Chaperones

Eve-Lyn de la Haye

Yazmin Vazquez

Janelle O'Donnell

Julia Rooney

Children's Chorus Chaperone Assistant

Yazmin Vazquez

Apprentice Production Manager

Viviana Hersche Opera Artist Resilience Program

THANK YOUS

Douglas College Students

Lorryzel Badajos

Rafael Zavala Gonzalez

Erin Grywacheski

Hina Asada

Dieu Linh Tran

Sarah Pickstone

Maureen Keremidschieff

Tommy Luong

Keeley Campbell

Corri Veitch

Brenda Raincock

Carolyn Reemeyer

Peter Wong

Christine Hackman

City of Vancouver Canada Postal Corporation

Coast Mountain Bus

IATSE 118

BIOS

JACQUES LACOMBE Conductor

Jacques Lacombe has been active on the international scene for over 30 years. He has held many positions as music director including with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Symphonique de TroisRivières and more recently with the Orchestre Symphonique de Mulhouse in France. He has worked with many opera houses including the Metropolitan Opera House, Royal Opera at Covent Garden and the Deutsche Opera in Berlin.

ARIA UMEZAWA Director

Aria Umezawa is a director, producer, and writer who recently completed her time as an Adler Fellow with the San Francisco Opera — the first stage director to be awarded the fellowship in fifteen years. Directorial engagements this season include The Raven with Opera Philadelphia, A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Vancouver Opera, Madama Butterfly with New Orleans Opera, Turandot with Opera Colorado and Acis & Galatea with Philharmonia Baroque.

DANIEL MOODY, countertenor Oberon

Lauded for his “profoundly startling vocal resonance” (The New York Times) countertenor Daniel Moody is celebrated for his interpretations of contemporary and baroque opera and as a soloist with orchestra. Career highlights include a recent debut at The Metropolitan Opera, appearances at Carnegie Hall, Off-Broadway, Cincinnati Opera, Atlanta Symphony, Atlanta Opera, Minnesota Orchestra, Les Violons du Roy, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, and Apollo’s Fire.

Tytania

French-Canadian soprano Magali Simard-Galdès is renowned for her shimmering tone, her refined musicality and her magnetic stage presence. As comfortable on the operatic as on the concert stage, she is appreciated in a vast repertoire ranging from baroque to contemporary music. In parallel to her singing career, she can be heard as an environmental columnist on the show Feu Vert on Radio-Canada.

Kunji Ikeda (池田 勲二 he/they) plays with physical communication to grow physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing within his community. Their fearless political work explores our communities' most pressing political ideas and they have earned multiple awards and nominations for performance and choreography. Ikeda has trained intensively with One Yellow Rabbit, is currently a professor at UBC, and enjoys climbing trees and drinking tea.

MAGALI SIMARD-GALDES, soprano

KUNJI IKEDA Puck

The Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program provides artists—singers, pianists and stage directors—with the opportunity to train with industry leaders through master classes, one-on-one coachings and performance opportunities as part of a residency program.

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SPENCER BRITTEN, tenor Lysander

Triple threat Canadian tenor Spencer Britten has been praised for having “the poise and confidence of a seasoned professional” (Bachtrack). 2022-2023 season highlights include performing the role of Sailor in Opera Atelier’s Dido and Aeneas., Lysander in Vancouver Opera’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as a soloist in Carmina Burana with Orchestra Classique de Montréal, and performing in the world premiere of Chinatown at Vancouver Playhouse.

JONELLE SILLS, soprano

Helena

Jonelle was a member of the Yulanda

M. Faris Young Artist Program at Vancouver Opera for the 2021-2022 season. Ms. Sills was recognized as one of York University’s Top 30 Alumni under 30 and by CBC Music as one of the “30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30”. Jonelle is currently a member of The Rebanks Family Fellowship and International Performance Residency at The Royal Conservatory of Music.

CLARENCE FRAZER, baritone

Demetrius

Canadian/Korean baritone Clarence Frazer brings his “silky-smooth baritone” to a wide range of roles and concert repertoire. An alumnus of Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio, Clarence starred as Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Pacific Opera Victoria and sang Marcello in Against the Grain Theatre’s La bohème, touring from Yukon to Toronto. Clarence sang Guglielmo in Edmonton Opera’s Cosi fan tutte and in Messiah with Vancouver Bach Choir.

HILLARY TUFFORD, mezzo-soprano Hermia

Ontario-born mezzo soprano Hillary Tufford joined the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist Program at Vancouver Opera, where she sang Hebe in their 2022 production of HMS Pinafore, and “almost stole the show” as Lola in their concert performance of Cavalleria Rusticana. Hillary recently sang Olga in Highlands Opera Studio's Eugene Onegin, and debuts with Kingston Symphony in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in 2023.

NEIL CRAIGHEAD, bass-baritone Theseus

Neil Craighead’s rich bass-baritone voice has been heard across the country in operatic and concert repertoire of all styles. A graduate of the Canadian Opera Company’s prestigious Ensemble Studio, he most recently appeared with Vancouver Opera as Colline in La Bohème

Mr. Craighead is seeking his doctorate at the University of British Columbia while maintaining an active performing career and private teaching studio.

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STEPHANIE TRITCHEW, mezzo-soprano Hippolyta

Canadian mezzo soprano Stephanie Tritchew (she/her) is a rising singer, at home in the realms of both contemporary and standard repertoire. She has performed leading roles with Edmonton Opera, Calgary Opera, Opera Kelowna and as part of Vancouver Opera’s digital season, in addition to appearances on a variety of Indie opera and concert stages across Canada. Stephanie is excited to make her Vancouver Opera mainstage debut

PETER MCGILLIVRAY, baritone Bottom

the Weaver

Award-winning bass-baritone Peter McGillivray, most recently seen with Vancouver Opera in productions of HMS Pinafore, La Cenerentola and The Overcoat, has been hailed as “a gifted comic actor” by the Globe. Since winning the CBC Young Performers Competition in 2003 he has performed with most opera companies and orchestras across Canada, and toured the United States, the UK, Germany and Scandinavia. Born in Saskatchewan, he now lives in Sudbury, Ontario where he is a passionate hiker, nordic skier and sailor.

LUKA KAWABATA, baritone

Quince

Nikkei-Canadian artist Luka

Kawabata strives to push the boundaries of representation in opera through new works. In recent seasons, he has been featured in collaborations including Vancouver Opera, Edmonton Opera, Saskatoon Opera, and Manitoba Opera. Luka’s ongoing series “The Hafu ハーフProject” is set to premiere its third rendition in July as part of Pacific Opera Victoria’s Civic Engagement Artist Residency.

ASITHA TENNEKOON, tenor Flute

Sri Lankan tenor Asitha Tennekoon has established himself as one of Canada’s most versatile artists, singing principal roles with Canadian Opera Company, Pacific Opera

Victoria and Tapestry Opera and concert repertoire with Tafelmusik, Ottawa Choral Society and Vancouver Bach Choir. Asitha won raves for his “tour-de-force performance” as Boy Angel in the Canadian Premiere of Angel’s Bone in Vancouver.

IAN CLEARY, tenor Snout

Ontario-born tenor Ian Cleary is a Graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of British Columbia. While in Vancouver Opera’s Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist Program, Ian sang Ivan in The Music Shop and Walther in Blond Eckbert, digital productions created during the pandemic. Ian starred as Don Jose in Carmen with Saskatoon Opera and understudied Turiddu in Vancouver Opera’s concert performance of Cavalleria Rusticana.

VANCOUVER OPERA GUILD 2023 ESCORTED OPERA TOURS

NEW YORK METROPOLITAN OPERA TOUR | March 24—31, 2023 —SOLD OUT—

BERLIN, DRESDEN, PRAGUE AND VIENNA | May 3—14, 2023 —SOLD OUT—

OPERA IN SANTA FE | August 6—13, 2023

Tour includes airfare, accommodation at the Inn of the Governors, five operas and sightseeing tours.

• Tosca (Puccini) with Angel Blue and Freddie De Tommaso

• Rusalka (Dvořák) with Ailyn Pérez, Robert Watson and James Creswell

• Pelléas et Mélisande (Debussy) with Huw Montague Rendall, Samantha Hankey and Susan Graham

• The Flying Dutchman (Wagner) with Nicholas Brownlee and Elza van den Heever

• Orfeo (Monteverdi) with Rolando Villazón and Paula Murrihy

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL Lis Dawson at 604-922-8008

Genny MacLean (Great Expeditions) at 604-738-5535

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JASON COOK, baritone Starveling

With his roots in the Vancouver Opera children’s chorus, Jason is honoured to be making art in his hometown again. Some performance credits include Marco in Gianni Schicchi (Pacific Opera Victoria), Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia (Burnaby Lyric Opera) and King Melchior in Amahl and the Night Visitors (Vancouver Opera) - with this performance, Opera Canada noted the “compassion in Cook’s warm, enveloping baritone”. Upcoming engagements include Gianni Schicchi in the titular role and Tonio in I Pagliacci.

PETER MONAGHAN, bass-baritone Snug

Peter Monaghan is a graduate of UBC and was a member of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist Program. Previous Vancouver Opera engagements include The Merry Widow, Eugene Onegin, and Turandot. In the 2021-2022 season, Peter appeared with The Calgary Philharmonic, Lethbridge Symphony, Edmonton Opera and Pacific Opera Victoria. Upcoming engagements include the Brahms Requiem at Lethbridge Symphony.

Fairy

2 (Peaseblossom)

Sara Hajduk is a 17-year-old singer with a passion for music. After joining the Vancouver Bach Children’s Choir at the age of five, and more recently the British Columbia Youth Choir, her love for singing continues to grow. She sees her future immersed in music. This will be her second time participating in a VO production, her first being in the 2017's Turandot

CLAIRE JUN

Fairy 1 (Cobweb)

Claire Jun is a Grade 12 soprano voice student and music major at the Langley Fine Arts School. She has studied classical voice for 2 years and her passion for it led her to attend the 2022 Summer Academy Masterclass at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. Claire received the Most Outstanding Student award from the 2021 and 2022 Vaya Music Festivals. Claire speaks French, English, and Korean.

Fairy 2 (Moth)

Claire is a Grade 7 student in Vancouver and is excited to perform with Vancouver Opera for the first time. She has participated in the Vancouver Opera Summer Camps for the past two years where she enjoyed writing, composing, and performing original operas. Claire takes voice lessons from the talented Eve-Lyn de la Haye and has also studied piano for 8 years.

CLAIRE O'DONNELL

SARA HAJDUK

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Since 2004, the David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund has been investing in emerging artists at Vancouver Opera, providing a boost for many artists training to become professional performers.

We sincerely thank the DSEEF Trustees for their role in helping VO become a focal point for young artists training in Canada.

In this production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, we recognize Hillary Tufford, Jonelle Sills, Neil Craighead, Luka Kawabata, Stephanie Tritchew, Peter Monaghan, and Ian Cleary as David Spencer Artists.

BIOS

SOPHIA QUIRING Fairy 1 (Mustardseed)

Sophia Quiring is a Grade 12 student at Riverside Secondary in Port Coquitlam. She attends the Vancouver Academy of Music where she takes vocal lessons with Robyn DriedgerKlassen. She has played piano since the age of four and is the principal percussionist of the Coquitlam Youth Orchestra. Sophia is in French Immersion and loves learning about different languages.

CRAIG ALFREDSON Scenic Designer

Craig is excited to be designing for Vancouver Opera, after having previously worked as interim Technical Director for the company. Craig has worked as a set, lighting, sound and projection designer for many different theatre and dance companies, including Chemainus Theatre, the Firehall Arts Centre, Green Thumb Theatre, and The Arts Club. His designs have been seen on stages across Canada as well as internationally.

ROBERTA DOYLEND Costume Designer

After many years teaching in the theatre department of Brock University, Roberta has returned to her roots on the West Coast. She has designed and built costumes for over 400 productions (theatre, opera, and dance) across Canada and internationally. Roberta is Head of Wardrobe for Vancouver Opera and owner of Vintage Revisited, a company that provides workshops in vintage techniques for everyday life, sewing, pattern drafting and specialty crafting skills.

SOPHIE TANG

Lighting Design

Sophie Tang is an award-winning lighting and set designer working in theatre, opera and dance. She has worked with companies including Vancouver Opera, Stratford Festival, Arts Club Theatre, Citadel Theatre, City Opera and so on. Selected credits: The Pearl Fishers (Vancouver Opera), Choir Boy (Canadian Stage), La voix Humaine (City Opera), Rez Sisters (Stratford Festival), At the Statue of Venus (City Opera).

CHIMERIK 似不像 COLLECTIVE Projection Design

Chimerik 似不像 is an awardwinning interdisciplinary arts and design collective consisting of artists from underrepresented groups and disciplines (film/video, new media, VJ, XR, projection & lighting design, experimental music, sound art, visual arts, contemporary dance/ theatre performance and spirituality). They have worked with corporations such as NIKE, Microsoft, BenQ and Google, yet, actively empowering underrepresented communities.

BIOS

ANNA KUMAN Choreographer & Intimacy Director

Anna holds an MFA in Movement Direction & Teaching from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (UK). She has worked in regional theatres across Canada and internationally as a Mass Movement Choreographer for mega-events such as the Rio 2016 Paralympic Opening Ceremony. Anna is also a recurring guest faculty member at post-secondary professional training programs such as Studio 58 and Capilano University.

DALA Associate Conductor

Conductor and pianist Leslie Dala is the Associate Conductor and Chorus Director of Vancouver Opera, the Music Director of the Vancouver Bach Choir and the Music Director Emeritus of the Vancouver Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra. He has conducted in France, Italy, Ireland, the Czech Republic, China, Taiwan, and recently made his debut at Carnegie Hall. Earlier this year he recorded the Complete Piano Etudes of Philip Glass for the Redshift label.

RICHARD EPP Répétiteur

Richard Epp is a Vancouver-based vocal coach, pianist and conductor. He was senior opera coach for the Opera Workshop at UBC and a sessional instructor in the School of Music. At UBC he has conducted Serse, Le Nozze di Figaro, Die Zauberflöte, Hänsel und Gretel, Der Fledermaus, Weisse Rose and two world premieres, among others. He was a pianist for VO's Resident Artist Program and was on the faculty at the Vancouver Academy of Music.

AMY SEULKY LEE

Young Artist Répétiteur

Amy Seulky Lee holds a Master of Music in Collaborative Piano from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the University of British Columbia. Amy made her debut with the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra in 2010 and has since performed in concerts across Canada, the United States, South Korea, and Italy. She served as music director for Summer Opera Lyric Theatre and Malfi Productions.

Chorus Director/Principal Répétiteur

Described as a “scintillating player,” pianist and coach Tina Chang is on the music staff at Vancouver Opera. Based in Vancouver, she has been involved with various musical organizations in town: Chor Leoni, Sound the Alarm Music Theatre, re:Naissance Opera, and Health Arts Society. She is currently adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia, and on faculty at the Vancouver Academy of Music.

LESLIE

TINA CHANG

BIOS

THERESA TSANG

Stage Manager

In addition to her over 20 seasons with Vancouver Opera, Theresa is a member of the stage management teams for Wexford Festival Opera in Ireland and Garsington Opera in the UK. She has also been a long-time Faculty Stage Manager for the opera programmes at the Banff Centre, a guest lecturer for UBC’s Theatre Department, and guest stage manager for UBC’s opera department.

SAWYER CRAIG

Assistant Director

A director and soprano from Edmonton, Alberta, Sawyer Craig has been praised as a “standout” performer (Edmonton Journal), “particularly radiant in coloratura passages” (Opera Canada). Sawyer holds an Artist Diploma in Stage Direction for Opera from McGill’s Schulich School, and is the co-founder of Good Mess Opera Theatre, a notfor-profit opera company with the aim of creating experimental and unusual theatre.

EMMA HAMMOND

Assistant Stage Manager

Emma is excited to return to the world of Opera, after working as Court Clerk for the BC Justice System for a few years. She is grateful to everyone who has encouraged her to return to the Arts. Past credits Include Glory (Western Canada Theatre), Faust (Vancouver Opera), La Traviata (Pacific Opera) and Chelsea Hotel (Firehall Arts Centre).

MICHELLE HARRISON

Assistant Stage Manager

Michelle has worked in stage management with Pacific Opera Victoria and Vancouver Opera on such productions as For a Look or a Touch, Orfeo ed Euridice, The Barber of Seville, and The Music Shop (Canadian premiere). Theatre credits include The Sound of Music and Kinky Boots (Arts Club) and the Jessie award-winning production of Whose Life Is It Anyway? (Realwheels). She is a graduate of UBC.

JAMIE SWEENEY

Assistant Lighting Design

Jamie Sweeney is a Vancouverbased lighting designer and theatre collaborator. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Production and Design from Simon Fraser University. She is thrilled to be assisting on her first Vancouver Opera production.

BIOS

JULIANE GALLANT Women in Musical Leadership Participant Assistant

Juliane Gallant is a conductor in the Tapestry Opera Women in Musical Leadership fellowship. She has led productions across the UK (Gothic Opera, Hampstead Garden Opera, Opera on Location, St Paul’s Opera, Opera Up Close) and Canada (Highlands Opera Studio). In 2021, she made her Royal Opera House debut in Mami Wata. She studied at the Guildhall School of Music and the National Opera Studio.

JEREMY SCINOCCA Lysander Understudy

Jeremy Scinocca is an award-winning tenor from Toronto and a recent graduate of the Masters of Voice and Opera program at McGill University. Recently, Jeremy performed the roles of Edoardo, in Un girono di regno, Mr. Buchanan in Street Scene, Mr. Pinkleton in Cinderella and Hector in Rosa by Canadian composer James Rolf. He has performed in recitals across Toronto, including a self-organized fundraiser for Special Olympics Ontario.

MCKENZIE WARRINER, soprano Tytania Understudy

McKenzie Warriner is a Saskatchewan-born soprano thrilled to make her Vancouver debut as a Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist. This season, she is also a Britten Pears Young Artist, and will sing Messiah with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra. Recent credits include Alligator Pie (Regina Symphony Orchestra), The Shop Girl (COSA Canada), Der Schauspieldirektor (Eastman Opera Theatre), and Hansel and Gretel (University of Manitoba).

Partnerships and Engagement

Seminars for teachers and students on the history and topics raised in our operas.

Project Opera allows students to create their own opera from scratch, guided by Vancouver Opera’s teaching artists.

Opera 101 an online course designed to deepen adult understanding of opera.

Opera Speaks a series of scintillating panel discussions that push the boundaries of what opera can be.

Inside Vancouver Opera a unique podcast that digs deep into our productions and the lives of the composers.

Vancouver Opera in Schools brings fully staged productions right to students in school.

Community events and partnerships with Vancouver Public Library, Vancouver International Film Festival and other organizations to expand the reach of opera.

at VO encompasses a wide variety of community and school-based programming intended to deepen and enrich our audience’s engagement and understanding of our art form.

PHOTO: TEACHING ARTIST NICHOLAS BURNS SHARES HIS LOVE OF OPERA AND OFFERS TIPS FOR SURREY SCHOOL DISTRICT’S MUSIC TEACHERS IN A RECENT SESSION.

2023 CAREER DEVELOPMENT GRANT

– Production/Technical –

The Vancouver Opera Guild will disburse a $6,000 Career Development Grant in June 2023.

Candidates for the 2023 Grant must be pursuing a career in opera production; for example: costume, set or lighting design, stage direction, stage management etc., and be Canadian citizens or those with Landed Immigrant status between the ages of 20 and 39.

The deadline for the receipt of completed applications is April 15, 2023.

Further information, please contact: Mrs. Gwenda Murray

(604) 535-9755 | gwendamurray@gmail.com vancouveroperaguild.com

EVERY DONATION MATTERS—AND SO DOES EVERY DONOR.

From the smallest contributions right up to enduring major gifts, our community’s support is what allows us to continue presenting world-class opera right here in Vancouver.

Visit our website to donate online quickly and easily. No matter the amount, it makes a difference. Thank you!

VO

IS PROUD TO BRING OPERA TO SCHOOLS WITH PROJECT

OPERA

The magic of opera comes to the classroom! In this fun and highly interactive program, elementary school children work with VO artists and teachers to design and deliver an opera of their very own. Wherever the inspiration comes from—a book they love, a bit of local history, the wonders of nature—Project Opera helps kids create unforgettable experiences in song and story.

Find out more at vancouveropera.ca/learn

STUDENTS FROM GRANDVIEW ELEMENTARY PARTICIPATE PROUDLY IN PROJECT OPERA.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

SEASON SPONSORS

WITH CONTINUING SUPPORT FROM

CORPORATE GIVING

We are proud to partner with organizations who want to lend their support for arts and culture in our community. Our corporate sponsors help us create exceptional opera experiences while also building their own brand visibility. Interested in sharing your organization’s story?

PRODUCTION SPONSOR

Reach out to our team at development@vancouveropera.ca

SEASON PATRONS Yoshiko Karasawa | Martha Lou Henley, c.m.

ALAN AND GWENDOLINE PYATT FOUNDATION

Chris Gailus

Sophie Lui

VANCOUVER OPERA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chair

Susan Van der Flier

Vice Chair

Richard Rees Treasurer

Roger Flowerdew

Secretary

Krista Johanson

Mass Abedi

Human Alghabi

Catherine Dangerfield

Shaun Dolman

Joshua Hutchinson

Kirk LaPointe

Pierre Lebel

Maria Leone

Jessica Macintosh

Jennifer Muench

Jan Sampson

Stanis Smith

Carol Tsuyuki

Alexi White

Andrea Wood

President, Vancouver

Opera Guild

Nancy Wu

VANCOUVER OPERA STAFF

General Director

Tom Wright

Music Director Emeritus

Jonathan Darlington

Director of Marketing

Jonathan Harrison

Director of Development

Kayleigh Harrison

Director of Production

Nicole Lamb

Chief Financial Officer

Jacqui Evans-Atkinson

ARTISTIC PLANNING

Company Manager

Georgina Morales

Associate Conductor and Chorus Director

Leslie Dala

Assistant Chorus Director and Principal Répétiteur

Tina Chang

Orchestra/Stage Manager

Jim Littleford

Music Librarian

Tom Shorthouse

PRODUCTION

VANCOUVER OPERA FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Chair

Paul McEwen

Treasurer and Secretary

Jim MacCallum

Jill Bodkin

Jake Boxer

Neil Carnell

Roger Flowerdew

Yuri Fulmer

Emily Mackinnon

Jennifer Muench

Terry Pask

Richard Rees

Susan Van der Flier

Production Assistant/Building Manager

Elsa Orme

Head of Properties

Stephen Elgar

Head of Wardrobe

Roberta Doylend

Stage Manager

Theresa Tsang

Assistant Stage Managers

Emma Hammond

Michelle Harrison

DEVELOPMENT

Manager, Major Gifts

Lauren Watson

Manager, Grants and Proposals

Kseniia Gorlevaia

Coordinator, Development Operations

Hazel Yeung

FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

Accounting and Payroll Manager

William Murgatroyd

Office Services Administrator

Jennifer Pipe

MARKETING

Creative Director

Annie Mack

Marketing Manager

Keltie Laidlaw

Database and Ticket

Centre Manager

Tracey Flattes

Ticket Centre Associate

Charlene Hibbard

Social Media Specialist

Lucas Bertoli

Senior Communications Advisor

Stephen Lyons

Publicist

Cynnamon Schreinert

Program Ad Sales

Jennifer Lee

PARTNERSHIPS AND ENGAGEMENT

Senior Manager, Partnerships, Engagement, and EDI

Ashley Daniel Foot Coordinator

Vincent Huynh

Senior Teaching Artist

Eve-Lyn de la Haye

Teaching Artists

Nicholas Burns

Holly Collis Handford

Kris Epps

Peter Abando

Maya Occhionero-Boyd

Jane Potter

Roger Carr

YULANDA M. FARIS

YOUNG ARTISTS PROGRAM

Program Director

Leslie Dala Coach

Tina Chang

McKenzie Warriner, Soprano

Hillary Tufford, Mezzo-Soprano

Jeremy Scinocca, Tenor

Luka Kawabata, Baritone

Amy Seulky Lee, Pianist

Sawyer Craig, Director

Saturday, March 11, 2023

7:30PM

CHAN CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Sunday, April 2, 2023

2:30PM

ORPHEUM THEATRE

with guest conductor ROLLO DILWORTH with guest artist JANE COOP

PATRON INFORMATION

PREVIEW TALKS

Learn more about the Vancouver Opera production you’re about to see at our complimentary Preview Talks. A great added value to your VO ticket, and an opportunity to gain insight into the performance, Preview Talks are offered an hour before every performance. Led by an expert, topics range from the composer’s life and repertoire, to historical context about the work, to more details about the artists involved with the production. Each talk lasts approximately 25 minutes.

ACCESSIBILITY

Elevators in the Queen Elizabeth Theatre parkade provide patron access to street level and the main entrances of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre and the Vancouver Playhouse. There also is a driveway for taxis and pick-up/drop-off for patrons with physical needs.

Seating for patrons using wheelchairs is available on the orchestra and mezzanine levels of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, and on the orchestra level of the Vancouver Playhouse. Elevator access is available from each of the theatre’s main lobby to the upper levels. For more information, please call the VO Ticket Centre.

Patrons who are hard-of-hearing may borrow Sennheiser Infrared Hearing System headsets for any performance, free of charge. Headsets are available at the theatre coat check. This system was made possible through the generous donation of Wolverton Securities Limited and the Vancouver Foundation.

ELECTRONIC DEVICES

Please silence all electronic devices when entering the theatre, so as not to disrupt the performance.

LATECOMERS

To avoid disrupting the performance, latecomers may not be seated once the show has started. If possible, they will be ushered to their seats at the first appropriate break.

PERFORMANCE ETIQUETTE

In consideration of other patrons and the performers, please refrain from rustling programs, unwrapping candy or whispering during the performance. Given some people’s allergies, we also ask patrons to avoid wearing perfume or other scented products.

Patrons are requested to speak to a Vancouver Opera or Civic Theatres representative at intermission in the case of any disturbance or discomfort during a performance.

RECORDINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHS

Any recording (video, audio) or photographs of VO performances are strictly prohibited without the permission of Vancouver Opera. We welcome you to take photos of the curtain call and share using the hashtag #amidsummernightsdream

PARKING

Parking is available at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre parkade, located off Cambie Street between West Georgia and Dunsmuir Streets. Accessible parking is available with an accessible parking decal. Parking is limited, so plan to arrive early.

TICKET SERVICES

Purchases

A variety of subscription packages as well as single tickets can be purchased online through the VO’s website or by calling the VO Ticket Centre.

Visit, write or call: VO Ticket Centre, 1945 McLean Drive, Vancouver T: 604 683 0222 | E: tickets@vancouveropera.ca

vancouveropera.ca/tickets

Hours of operation: Monday—Friday, 9AM—5PM

Exchanges and Lost Tickets

Please contact the Ticket Centre directly with any questions about exchanging and/or replacing tickets.

Print your tickets at home!

Vancouver Opera now offers an easy, convenient way to get your tickets immediately after purchasing a VO ticket or subscription package.

With a valid email address, you can receive your e-tickets directly to your inbox, whether you purchase tickets online or through the VO Ticket Centre. You can get your tickets sooner and avoid waiting in line at the theatre before the performance.

PRIVACY

Vancouver Opera is committed to protecting your privacy. For information on VO’s patron privacy policy, please visit our website: vancouveropera.ca.